A Year and a Day
by sodalegs
Summary: Five seasons, a story of love. Written for the LoveLive Big Bang on tumblr.


Spring

"I think I love you."

Her hands drew together and her fingers intertwined. Her eyes flicked down, and she continued, "We've been best friends for a long time, so it's only fair to tell you that I never stopped thinking of you like one. But best friends don't love each other like I love you, right? I shouldn't want to kiss you, or hold you hand at festivals. I shouldn't want you to see me like I see you." When she looked up, there was a vulnerable, young girl staring back.

"You're right, that was kind of a dumb," she laughed, though no humor filled her words. She continued talking to herself, the mirror reflecting her hesitation and doubt. "Kayo-chin doesn't feel that way, silly, so it's no use, hoping she might."

Still, her mind lingered on what it would feel like to press her lips against Hanayo's. Or to walk through town, hand in hand, as they pick out a cute café for a date. Even the chaste things, like dancing together under a full-bloomed cherry tree, left her with a feeling of intimacy that shouldn't have been there.

"Rin?" It was her mother. "Are you almost done?"

"Just a minute!" Rin replied, speeding up her routine. She ran a brush through her hair one more time before exiting the bathroom. Her mother said good morning to her as they passed each other, and she barely remembered to greet her back.

"Is something wrong?" Her mother asked. Her daughter, who tended to be wide awake and ready to go each morning, even on the weekends, was unusually lost in thought.

"No, nothing's wrong," Rin smiled, though it betrayed her feelings. Her mother, of course, noticed, but let it pass as if she hadn't. Rin would tell her if something was seriously wrong. Maybe she just didn't get enough sleep, the mother told herself, walking into the bathroom and closing the door. It was just then she realized something very unusual about her daughter: she'd been wearing a dress.

The air in spring was always very clean and clear, even for Tokyo. There was a light breeze, not too strong or soft, and the skirts of young schoolgirls gently swayed in it as they played hopscotch and tag. Rin loved to watch them, giving them band aids when they get scraped, and letting the feeling of spring consume her.

Today, Rin was to meet Maki and Hanayo at the park, where they'd have a picnic, and catch up with one another. They were about to start their senior year, having attended Honoka, Kotori, and Umi's graduation a few weeks prior. Being the only µ's members left brought a feeling both tight in their chests and throats, but also a sense of wonder and awe to their minds. Had they really been here so long? They felt still like yesterday it was them bowing to the seniors, using "-senpai" and trying to get accustomed to a new school. Where had time gone? And where did it leave them standing?

"Rin-chan!" A voice growing steadily closer called. Rin could tell it was Hanayo's, softer and like flowers. Everything about Hanayo was like flowers. She smiled like them, and smelt like them, and her eyes were a soft pink, like the petals of Sakura. "Rin-chan?"

"Kayo-chin!" Rin exclaimed, not realizing how she'd, yet again, zoned out in thought. "It's so good to see you!"

"Yes!" Hanayo agreed, "It feels like it's been too long." They heard more footsteps approaching, and turned to find Maki walking towards them.

"We just got back from a cruise yesterday, so I have a little jet lag," she explained. Rin and Hanayo giggled, as every break it seemed the same. A cruise, their mountain house, a secluded beach- Maki's family never failed to find another rich, envy-worthy vacation spot. "What? What's so funny?" Maki asked, a defensive tone present.

"Nothing Maki-chan," they chorused, having run through this hundreds of times. They, all three this time, burst into another round of giggles.

"I've missed you guys," Maki sighed, pulling them in for a hug.

They laid out their blanket by a group of children playing tag, and began to eat the meal Maki's family put together for them. They laughed, talking about memories they'd made with µ's, or where they were now with their clubs.

"There's this girl, first year, Sakurauchi Riko-chan," Maki had said, refilling a glass of water. "She's very talented with the piano. I think she could become professional."

"You could become professional if you wanted," Rin replied. It was true- Maki greatly loved playing piano and coming up with new pieces for herself. It would only be natural if she'd pursued that kind of career.

"Doctor," Maki winked, reenacting the conversation for the seventh time. They always talked about their futures, what they'd do once the next year passed. "What are you aiming for, Rin-chan?"

"I'm going to try becoming a vet!" She grinned, "I absolutely adore animals."

"And you'll have just as many scrapes as they would," Hanayo joked, motioning to several bandages that covered Rin's leg, each from some amusing incident.

"It's not my fault the railing was slippery," Rin whined, poking at a particularly large bandaid.

"You still slid down a railing after it has rained," Maki pointed out. Rin stuck out tongue out like the mature soon-to-be-third-year she was.

"I heard Kotori-chan already launched her own clothing line, and she's only in college," Maki mused. "I'm wearing a sample right now, actually. It's her spring collection." She gestured to the thin, pink blouse and white pants.

"Wow, she's doing really well," Hanayo smiled. She had liked Kotori, who was in the subgroup with Honoka and her. Printemps. Spring. Maki motioned the two closer, and pulled the blouse up a little. Sewn onto the edge of the shirt was Minami, Printemps.

Hanayo tried to hold back tears. "Man," she said. "It's almost shame we all got put into different subunits." Maki nodded, her other two unit members having left with the first graduation. She still talked to them- she still talked to all of µ's.

"Nico-chan's going to be a manager for school idols," Rin giggled. It was something so obvious for Nico to do that nobody was quite surprise. "And Eli-chan's on her way to becoming a professional dance instructor."

"What about Honoka-chan?" Hanayo asked. Suddenly, it was a very dumb question. She's inherited and managed her mother's sweet business for the past year, despite also going to college.

"Yukiho says they're managing the shop just fine, except Honoka still isn't sure what to pursue." Maki explained. She gave Alisa and and Yukiho singing lessons every Sunday, and was generally up-to-date on Honoka and Eli's life. "But I mean, she has a year to just do her general courses and figure it out. Nozomi and Eli finally moved in together, and Nozomi's going to be a therapist and shrine maiden."

Everything returned quiet as the continued their lunch. The kids by them were still playing tag, and coming up with more ridiculous rules by the minute.

"Senior year, huh?" Hanayo was the first to say it. The mood seemed to drop, all knowing what that meant.

"Yeah," Rin nodded. After this year, they'd go to college, and once that's over, get a job, a family, and a whole new life. A family. "Are any of you planning to have kids?" She asked, quiet. It wasn't a sensitive topic per se, just one that wasn't often brought up. Rin knew that, personally, she had no intention of marrying a man and having children. Perhaps she'd have a wife and adopt, but that seemed almost as far-fetched as any other thought.

"I might adopt," Hanayo confessed. For a second, Rin's chest filled with a warm feeling of hope- as if instead of spring, there was a joyous and raging summer day trapped inside her. It quickly faded, however. "I'm not really interested in marriage at all."

Rin cracked a grin, but received a look from Maki that twisted her heart. Not really interested. That meant Rin had no chance. She stood up, "I'm going to the bathroom." She announced, ignoring the second round of Maki's I know what you're doing looks. She almost tripped over a little kid in the process.

"Hey!" The little girl yelped, dodging out of the way.

"Excuse me," Rin apologized, balancing the girl. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"That'th okay," she smiled. She was missing three teeth in total, and talked with a bit of a lisp. "I'm Thaitō Mao. Nithe to meet you"

"Hoshizora Rin," Rin nodded, "Nice to meet you too."

"Hothizora-Than, would you like to play tag with uth?"

Rin looked at Maki and Hanayo, who only shrugged in response. "Of course," she smiled. "But you can call me Rin."

"Rin-than! Call me Mao. Let'th play," she reached over. "Tag! You're it." She ran off quickly.

Hanayo felt a tap on the shoulder, "Tag." It was Rin. Hanayo didn't react for a moment, before giggling and tapping Maki on the back.

"Tag, Maki-chan!"

"No fair, I didn't know I was playing!"

"Too late, come and get us!"

They ran around, laughing and playing with the other children, until even their school idol stamina became powerless against the energy of children.

"Those kids can run fast," Hanayo panted, gulping down water.

"And long," Rin added, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Maki was the only one left playing, though perhaps it was less about her having fun and more about the two girls sitting under the sakura.

Hanayo laid down, her head landing on Rin's lap. "You're pretty hot." She commented, before blushing. "I meant you're really warm but your dress is super pretty! Please don't think I'm weird." Her face was even redder than after running, and she was staring at the sky.

"It's fine, Hanayo-chan," Rin smiled, looking up at the sky with her. "It's not weird. Lots of things are pretty– the sky, the skura… You."

"Me?" Hanayo asked, reaching up to play with Rin's short, boyish hair. Still, despite its appearance, it was soft and feminine. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Of course I do!" Rin exclaimed, grabbing Hanayo's hand and grasping it in hers. "I think you're very pretty, in fact. The way you laugh and how it sounds like chimes, or how your hair's the color of autumn and the feeling of spring."

"Well, you're pretty too," Hanayo commented, squeezing Rin's hand. "Your eyes light up when you're around kids, and the way you move when you dance… It's mesmerizing."

"Kayo-chin…"

"Hm?"

"I… I think I'm in love with you."

Summer

Summer came like a thunder storm- hot, and bright, and especially furious. Black clouds would roll across the mountains, sweeping their way into Tokyo, and sometimes striking down buildings. They'd then release a deep war cry, which shook the earth and all its people before turning their heel and moving to another city, it's cloak trailing behind. Still, as ruthless and unforgiving as it was, these days brought some of the best moments in Rin's life.

It started with the rain, when a knock came on Rin's front door.

"Rin-chan, please open the door!" Came from the other side. Recognizing the voice immediately, Rin threw open the door.

"Hanayo-chan, what are you out in the pouring rain?" Rin asked, panicked. She motioned for Hanayo to come in, and rushing to get a towel. Hanayo remained, soaked, outside.

"I need to talk to you." She said. She was panting, as if she had ran all the way from her house to Rin's.

"You need to come in first," Rin insisted, taking her hand to pull her inside. "You'll catch a cold standing out there like this!"

"I had to see you."

"Come inside!"

"No!" Hanayo pulled her hand away, tears beginning in the corners of her eyes. "I need to talk to you, right now. Right here." Rin studied her face. How anxious and exhausted it looked all at once. "Please," her voice was barely above a whisper now.

"Alright," Rin agreed, stepping outside. The rain began to collect in her short hair, and she'd stepped in a puddle with her bare left foot.

"Do you remember when we were here as kids?" Hanayo asked. Rin nodded, unsure of where Hanayo wanted to bring the conversation. "You and I had long hair then. I wore a summer dress, blue like this one, and you a plain, red t-shirt. We sat here in the rain sometimes, until your mom found us and demanded we come inside. We'd talk about anything that upset us. Anything! Mean kids at the playground, parents taking us places we didn't want to go… Wasn't that fun?"

Rin nodded again, opening her mouth to speak this time. "It was fun. And when we were inside, we'd dry off and have orange juice. Then my mom would call yours and we'd end up having a sleepover."

"Everything was so quiet then," Hanayo took Rin's hands into hers, causing the both of them to blush. "Everything was wonderful with you, no matter how bad my day was. Everything still is wonderful with you. It's even more wonderful now that I've but my thoughts together."

"You told me we couldn't be friends." Rin said, so quiet that the rain nearly drowned out her words. She drew her hands out from hers, and began fiddling with her wet shirt, a simple red tee. The feeling of loneliness resurfaced, even though she had Hanayo right in front of her, willing to talk. "You said that I ruined our friendship."

Hanayo looked up, and met Rin's wide, horrified eyes. "What?"

"I… I said…" Rin stuttered, not able to confess a second time.

"What do you mean you think you love me?" Hanayo pressed, sitting up this time. "Rin-chan, please tell me."

"I meant what I said!" Rin finally exclaimed, making Hanayo step back. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. "Listen, Hanayo-chan. We've been best friends our whole life. I don't know where I'd be without you. You're smart, and kind, and beautiful, and because of that I keep wanting to spend my whole life with you, but not just as friends! I want to… I want to be yours."

Hanayo took another step back, before picking up her bag. "I have to go," she whispered, turning around and beginning to run.

"Hanayo!" Rin called, "Don't run away from me!"

"How can I not?!"

She turned around, fumbling with her words, "How… You… How can I not run away? You told me you were in love with me. You told me you wanted me. I can't just… I can't! Rin, you know I love you but… But not like that."

Rin nodded, letting the tears fall down her face. "Of course," she mumbled in defeat. "Of course you couldn't. But we can…"

"I don't… I don't know," Hanayo admitted. "Until you don't want me… I don't know if we can be friends. I don't know if anything can just 'go back to the way it was'. Rin… I think we…"

"You can't just end our friendship!" Rin shouted, attracting the stares of a few people in the park. "You can't… You… You!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have ruined it," Hanayo coldly said. Her voice felt strange, as if it weren't her own. She felt as if she were echoing someone else's words– her mother's, perhaps? Her father's? She knew neither of them would approve, so therefore she couldn't approve. Rin couldn't be hers.

Rin paused, unable to reply, and before she could, Hanayo had left, bumping into Maki on the way.

"What the hell did you do," Maki asked, she had every right to be angry at Hanayo. Every right to accuse her, yet here words held no blaming tone to them. She was still impartial at the moment, even though she knew of Rin's feelings. Hanayo pushed past her, but whispered on the way out.

"I'm sorry."

Rin looked up, and locked eyes with Hanayo. "I'm sorry, Rin, that I acted that way. That I said our friendship was ruined because of you… When really, it was ruined thanks to me." She paused, and took a second to breathe. "I want us to be friends again… No, I want us to be more than that."

"More… Than… Friends?" Rin asked, not knowing if she shook due to the cold rain or her nerves.

"I want to be with you," Hanayo confirmed, grasping her hands once more. "Rin-chan… Will you be my girlfriend?"

The rain had almost ceased by the time Rin found her voice. Neither had moved, and with their eyes still locked, Rin mumbled, "Yes… Yes. Yes!" She pulled Hanayo into a hug and cured her tears from their sadness.

Rin found, not too much later, that she had a new favorite pastime besides dancing and running. This activity happened to be both chaste and intimate, simple and complex, and especially sweet, even when her partner's lips tasted of rice and salted chips. Yes, she found, kissing Hanayo was definitely her favorite thing to do. She found this out when Maki's parents invited the two to their mountain home, which had fresh air and the glorious feeling of summer to it.

"They're even prettier than I remember," Hanayo breathed, taking in the fresh air that the mountains offered.

"Yeah," Rin agreed, thanking the Maki's parents once again. Maki grinned at the two, having been informed of them making up (though she promptly asked after if they've yet made out).

"I come here all the time," Maki said, beginning the walk towards the house. "Each time, I feel, they get more beautiful, no matter how many times prior I've been." She stuck her arms out and let the breeze brush by her. Rin ran up to her, pulling Hanayo along, and stuck her free arm out.

"No matter how many times…" Hanayo smiled, grasping Maki's hand with her other. The three stopped walking for a moment and let the world consume them. A few minutes passed by, before they began their walk again, and made it to the house.

"Tonight there's going to be a fire, and when it goes out, sometimes the fireflies will visit. Even with the fire, the sky's crystal clear. I can point out all the constellations." Maki mused, a collection of memories surfacing. "Even scorpius is supposed to be out."

"I can locate scorpius," Rin grinned. When µ's was at its prime, they'd do set photo shoots all the time, one of them happening to be a constellation set based on their zodiacs. "It's probably the only one I can figure out."

"Too bad aries isn't out," Maki commented, pulling the door open and pulling them inside. "I could spot that one nice and easy. Though, personally, I enjoy Andromeda. What's your favorite constellation, Hanayo-chan?"

Hanayo looked up from her phone, a slightly worried expression on her face. "My favorite what?" She asked. "Sorry, my mom texted."

Maki dismissed the look, but made a note to watch closer next time. "Your favorite constellation," she restated. "Do you have one?"

"Oh, yes!" Hanayo grinned. "I like the phoenix constellation. Phoenixes are known for dying, and then being reborn from their ashes. It's a nice little message, y'know? That things can still live even if they have to die first." She talked too much, and too fast, she'd realized afterwards.

"That is a pretty good metaphor," Rin agreed, not wanting to mention her off behavior. "I just like mine because it's my zodiac. What about yours, Maki-chan?"

She glanced at them from where she was standing, by the window, and said, "Andromeda? A beautiful woman- more beautiful than the gods it's said- whose mother boasted and bragged of. She was chained to a rock for sacrifice. It's a lesson on humility, and also how sometimes beauty is a curse more than a gift."

Rin and Hanayo stared at her for a minute, before giggling amongst themselves. "Always Maki-chan with the deep philosophical meanings," Rin said playfully. "Tone it down, eh? You make us look like uneducated ignoran- igmon- ignore- whatever that big word you use is!"

They shared another round of laughter, before grabbing their sleeping bags and heading back outside. They set their camp up beneath the stars already visible, a fire roaring with life not too far away. The fireflies were out, in the distance, and the crickets sang to them from a hidden bush. Some ways away was the sound of chipmunks, chasing and chattering to each other. If any of them were able to speak chipmunk, perhaps they would hear one who used to be young and troublesome, retelling the story of how their prized possession, a pink sweat band, was acquired.

"Has Kotori-chan launched a summer line yet?" Hanayo asked, motioning towards the outfit Maki was wearing.

"Not yet," Maki replied. "Although she did ask me the other day whether she should use blue or pink for the skirt thread, so it's only a matter of time."

"For all the times she asks you what color to use or what fabric, you could start your own line." Rin joked. "Actually, why don't you? Why are you becoming a doctor?"

"Because I like the idea of helping people," Maki replied, not missing a beat. "I like the idea of helping children and adults alike get better when they're at their worst. Why do you want to become a vet?"

Rin smiled, knowing she didn't have to answer. They all just had too big of a heart for their bodies, they realized. They wanted to do jobs that would help others, not themselves. They wanted to see children grow, or get better, or even be able to save something as simple as a dog's life. They wanted to help.

The fire cast a light glow in the two, slowly dimming and dying, as they reached their hands out to catch fireflies. It landed in each other's instead, which fell to the ground as they let our breaths of content.

"Rin-chan," Hanayo started. She wasn't sure what she had planned to say, but the curious way Rin looked at her made her forget everything. "Rin-chan… Can I…"

Rin tilted her head, nodded to whatever it was. If Hanayo asked, she'd let her do it. There wasn't a thug Rin could think of that she'd say no to when it came to her girlfriend.

Hanayo hesitated, before closing her mouth and launching forwards. She wrapped her arm begins Rin's neck, and pressed their lips together. There were no fireworks, no grand finale. It was just a simple kiss. Still, Rin thought, a simple kiss was one of her favorite kinds. Always so chaste and innocent, just as she found Hanayo to often be. Rin looked over Hanayo's shoulder to see Maki, a few feet away, with her back turned posture indicating sleeping.

Yes, Rin mused, her life was quite good.

Autumn

Autumn was a sunset.

The leaves set their reds, and oranges, and yellows to the ground, worshipping the night that was sure to come. The air began to cool, and the ground freeze- not too much, just to announce its arrival. It was pretentious in the way that it didn't use bright colors to show off, but rather dark, earthy tones which, somehow, had a stronger and more beautiful effect. Therefore, like the day died, so did summer's love.

"Can we really do this?"

"Hm?" Rin looked up from her notebook, where she was scribbling costume ideas for some of Maki's songs.

"Can we do this… Dating?" Rin's blood ran cold. Her heart began to beat faster, and there was a growing, uncomfortable weight in her throat and stomach, telling her to run away. Run away while you still can.

"Hanayo…" She breathed our, wanting to scream at her. Scream to repeat herself because it can't be true.

"I'm sorry," She was calm, but Rin new better. Hanayo always acted calm in these types of situations, only to break down crying minutes later. Often it was in Rin's arms, over a strong cup of tea, abandoned long enough to become cold.

"Hanayo!" Rin called, feeling as if she was hundreds of miles away. She grasped her hands, never wanting to let go.

"I'm sorry," Hanayo repeated, sounding almost as calm as before. Yet her voice betrayed her, cracking slightly at the end. "I'm sorry I'm doing this but… I have to. We can't be with each other anymore. We'll be going off to different colleges soon, and we want to become completely different things. We want completely different things. We can't do this."

Rin let her hands fall to her sides. Her body felt cold, but her heartbeat like a fire, burning down the house it's stayed in too long. Hanayo hadn't even hesitated. Once, they got into a fight over something quite trivial as children. They had tried ending their friendship, but hesitated in their words– in their anger– and ended the day with a sleepover. But this time was different. Hanayo has sounded so sure with her words, so sure that this was what she wanted, that Rin couldn't bring herself to say she didn't mean it. She could only again ask, "Why?"

Hanayo's eyes darkened, as if she wasn't there anymore. "It's… I told you why."

"No, you said we couldn't, not that we shouldn't. Not that you don't want to!" Tears were gathering, pooling, and overflowing from Rin's eyes now. She let out her next words as a scream, filled with the broken girl who was so happy only a few months ago asher and her partner shared their first kiss, "So why?!"

"I can't!" Hanayo repeated, much louder than her usual self. "I can't be with you, because even though I love you, I'll never be allowed with you. My parents won't let me, our future won't let me, and I can't let myself hurt you like that, alright? I can't let you get hurt by my family, the one that's hurt me for so many years over this, so if you want someone to blame, it had to be me. It has to be me."

Rin stood, words failing her once more. She reached out to touch Hanayo, to tell her she was there and that it would be okay. Everything would be okay. But nothing was.

Nothing was okay.

Winter

Cold.

Cold was the word to describe winter, Rin found. And as the leaves lay dead on the ground in agony so did her heart, which not even the Nishikino house could light a fire that was strong enough to melt the ice building up inside her.

"I don't understand," Maki began, handing Rin hot cocoa and sitting on a chair opposite to her. "You two were so happy."

Rin sighed, as she'd already gone through this six times with the rest of µ's. "We're graduating soon. In a few months, we'll be going to college… And Hanayo and I have different plans. I want to become a vet, she wants to become a teacher." She put the cup on the table before finishing. "It just wouldn't have worked out."

"Neither did anyone think µ's was going to."

Rin looked up, startled at what Maki had said. It was pretty out of the blue, she felt. "What do you mean?"

"I mean who honestly thought µ's was going to work out at first?" Maki gave a small smile. "We were a handful of crazy singing and dancing girls who went to a closing high school. Nobody but about three kids at school believed in us… But then we become popular. We rose to the top and won the Love Live against A-Rise and and even went to America. All because a girl named Honoka tried an insane plan believing it would work." She rose and pulled Rin into a hug. "And I believe you and Hanayo can work. It just takes time and experience… It's not something you can do overnight."

"Thank you," Rin mumbled, breathing in a scent like fresh flowers.

"Sometimes a break is just what you need," Maki reassured. She took a step back and stuck out her hand, as if expecting something. "So, what do you say? Want to come to the mountains for the weekend?"

"They're even more beautiful than before," Rin commented, echoing Hanayo's words from months before. She tried to put the sandy-haired girl out of her mind, but, somehow, she always managed to sneak back in and take over her thoughts.

Maki nodded, having enough tact not to comment, and ushered Rin inside. "It's much colder up here in the winter than down in Tokyo," she made sure to mention. "So we probably won't go outside much except to snowboard or play."

Rin nodded, giving her a smile. "Thank you," she whispered. "For everything you've done over the years, and especially now." Maki slung an arm over Rin, much more open to physical contact while freezing cold, and gave her a pat. True, she'd done quite a bit to help with Rin and Hanayo's relationship, from playing wingwoman to setting up dates, to bringing them where they had their first kiss, and even staying friends with the both of them when they could not. She was, Rin concluded, magical, and one of the best friends she could ever have asked for.

The other one, of course, being Hanayo.

"I don't understand," Rin confessed, being the eighth person to tell herself that. "I don't… we were… we were happy." Maki set her up with a cup of tea while her father put the heat on high for the time being. She agreed with Rin, having seen the joy that their relationship brought Hanayo. Hearing it in every phone call and watching it in every class. Though she was very busy as student council president, she made time to see her friends, and to see their relationship becoming one of the best things that had ever happened to them. She also saw it fall, suddenly, and with no explanation. It was a setting sun that fell out of the sky- so abrupt nobody knew what to do, only panic was present.

Now, the night has sunk in, and the stars fell to the ground in the form of snow, and the cold air surrounded their relationship. In each song Maki composed, she felt the icy bitterness of it seep in, becoming the notes she played and sheet music she read. Often time she'd play Chopin's Winter Wind and think of them, coming up with lyrics to a song that doesn't match any. A tumultuous relationship at best, she didn't know what to tell Rin. She didn't understand either.

Maki got up and walked towards the piano. She rifled through her sheet music, unsure of what to play. She pulled out a piano duet with a melody from her childhood, and beckoned Rin over. She placed her hands down, and began to play, patiently waiting for Rin to play. Working past the mistakes and pauses that would, of course, come from someone who's only played piano for three Sundays in June, they composed a conversation of hows and whys. Both answered, but neither knew the answer. In the end, Rin began to cry.

"Happy," she said, hollow. "We were so happy."

Rin was beginning to forget what happiness felt like.

Spring, Again

But every night does rise. Each day is reborn the next, and again and again does the dawn greet Earth. And, as the Sakura blooms again from its death, so does love.

Meet me at the park.

As tempted as Rin was to ignore the message, she couldn't get the thought out of her that things could get better if she did.

"I'm heading out," Rin called to her mother, before throwing on her shoes and heading out the door. Mrs. Hoshizora let a smile play on her lips, fully aware of the past year's events, despite her daughter thinking so. Things are going to get better. She knew this as she continued to fold the laundry, conscious of the absence in today's load. A dress.

"Graduation is tomorrow," Hanayo stated, upon Rin's arrival. She didn't quite know where Hanayo was going with her words, but decided sticking around to find out couldn't do much harm. "Because of that, I wanted to tell you something…"

Rin blinked, sitting down on the spot next to Hanayo on the park bench. "Okay," she replied, waiting patiently.

"I don't understand how you're so calm," Hanayo said, seemingly out of the blue. "I said awful things so many times, hurt you so much, and while you have every reason to hate me and scream at me, I don't understand why you're sitting there and letting me speak."

"I'm calm because a lot of things I can't understand," Rin sighed. "I couldn't understand why you left, so I'm trying to listen so I can finally understand."

Hanayo nodded, and continued what she left off at. "Graduation is tomorrow," she repeated, stronger this time. "I've put a lot of thought into it, and discussed it with my parents, and… I want to move in together for college. The places we chose are actually not very far away from each other, and I want to be able to live with you, and wake up each day with you.

"I was scared. Scared of the future, of my parents… and of myself. I thought I wasn't a good girlfriend, that I wouldn't be enough for you. But now, I feel like I can't continue without you. Rin-chan… Will you accept me again. I'm so sorry, and it's unlikely you will, but I want to be your girlfriend once more."

Rin didn't know if she could accept her back– the one who pulled her into a state of depression and ecstasy at the drop of a hat. How could she just let it be? Still, her words betrayed her, and she found herself speaking from the heart.

"Yes, I want to too."


End file.
